Killdeer

 Killdeer

Callipepla squamata

This bird gained some attention back in 1994 when George W was running for Governor and mistakenly shot one on opening day of dove season.  That episode didn't seem to hinder his career as he eventually sent Ann Richards packing from the mansion and he went on to two terms as POTUS.  Killdeer are quite common birds throughout the US and Canada and are found in grassy fields and shorelines.  This may be why hunters routinely see them during dove season and it's likely a few are mistakenly shot by less-newsworthy folks. They are easy to distinguish from most other birds by their loud kill-dee or dee-dee-dee call, especially when flying.  The double black band on the chest is another distinctive feature, especially when comparing it to plovers.  When they fly, they reveal a reddish-orange rump that is not seen in other shorebirds.  Killdeer nest on the open ground, usually in a gravelly area. Sometimes, these gravel areas are inconveniently located in parking lots, soccer fields, and oil field caliche pads.  Even when you have a good idea of where the eggs might be, they are difficult to find.  Killdeer protect their nest from predators and pesky humans by acting as if they are injured and luring them away.  The killdeer in these pictures was part of a larger, loose flock at a playa lake mentioned in the Northern Harrier post.  Rather than fly off in a panic when the harrier approached, the Killdeer ran along the shoreline as it made a piercing dee-dee-dee call.